The Shifting Coin
by Winthrop
Summary: Read what happends when a special 15-year old Narnian girl finds a strange coin that lands her in many different adventures...
1. Default

Disclaimer: Some of these characters/places don¹t belong to me (small wonder isn¹t it?) and they belong to C.S. Lewis. Um...yeah...that¹s basically it. Read on... :)   
  
She stretched her legs and sighed, another day of boring summer. "It is better than the endless winter though," her mother¹s voice echoed in her head. She sighed again and climbed to her feet. _They always talk about the "endless winter" and I¹m sick of it. I was never there and I don¹t care about that. I¹m here now, and what happened before doesn¹t apply to me, _she thought. Ambling outside their latest shelter, Kaleigh saw the sun start to climb into the sky and peep out behind the horizon. She was always the first to rise and the last to need sleep. Her family had just settled down, for a few weeks, in a shady spot underneath some sugar maple trees by the sea. A small stream ran down, always gurgling, and joined the waves. Kaleigh liked this spot best, out of all the places they¹d lived. Kaleigh and her family were nomads though, and don¹t like to stay in the same place for a long time. Herds are always like that, something that had always bothered Kaleigh. She felt that all the moving around was useless and wasted time. She secretly hoped they would stay here the longest, maybe even stop moving around. She felt that she had seen every little piece of Narnia and wanted to settle down. She wouldn¹t dare tell her parents though, she wasn¹t supposed to be thinking like that.   
  
Scratching a quick note to her parents saying she would be out for a run, Kaleigh left. She started walking up a steep hill to the flat level plain sitting above their shelter and the sea. She broke into a fast run and flew across the meadow. She loved running, it made her feel free and like she could outrun her problems forever. Kaleigh ran for hours until her growling stomach made her legs head back for her shelter. She ambled in to find her mother gathering breakfast and her father stepping out from behind the bedding area for her parents. With his hair tousled and his eyes heavy, he looked like he¹d been up all night. "What¹s wrong with you?" Kaleigh asked her sleepy father.   
  
"I haven¹t slept at all. It¹s these strange..." he fell silent looking down at the ground.   
  
"Strange what?" she pressed, hoping for an answer.   
  
"Oh, it¹s nothing," he replied, still looking at the ground, "Just nothing." He walked over to her mother and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. The family ate their breakfast in silence. Kaleigh was thinking about what her father was hiding and her father was thinking about a nice, soft, uninterrupted sleep when a knock broke them out of their thoughts. Her father¹s friend had come so they could walk to the Castle together. They were both warriors for the kings and queens, and had a lot of work to do. Rumors were going around of an enemy hiding in the forest and the warriors would have to see to it. Sightings of a strange creature had spread these rumors like wildfire and King Peter had decided to check it out to make sure they were not true, or that the monster was taken care of. Giving her mother and her a quick hug, her father stepped out and ran off with his friend.   
  
Kaleigh helped her mother clear and wipe the dishes they¹d used, and then went for a walk by the sea to collect shells. She loved to collect all kinds of unique and colorful shells, as there are a lot of them in Narnia, and she did so when she wanted to think. Running her father¹s words over in her mind just made Kaleigh more confused. What was he hiding from her!? Her and her father had always had a close connection, more so than was normal for a fifteen-year-old. They could talk about most anything and he had always told her everything. Why then, would he change the subject on something so trivial as what was keeping him awake?   
  
Frustrated, Kaleigh kicked at the waves, splashing her leg with cold water. Looking down at her sopping wet leg, something shiny in the sand caught her attention. A perfectly smooth and round object was gleaming in the morning sun. Picking it up, Kaleigh wiped the sand off of it and looked at the curious object. Strange marks glittered and shifted as she turned the coin (as she guessed it was) over in her hand. The surface changed and melted into strange forms and twisted into an unimaginable language. Silvery colors drifted in and out of sync. Blues, greens, reds, yellows all melded into a dance of swirls and patterns. Completely mystified as to the origins of the strange coin, Kaleigh looked around almost as if she expected someone to come and claim it. Seeing no one, she ran back for home to rinse it off in the spring and to look at it more clearly.  
  
Kaleigh could see nothing different as she laid under the sun in the meadow. The coin¹s surface still changed and shifted. She sighed, _another mystery to solve, _she thought.   
  
Turning over, she settled into the sweet grass. The sun warmed her dark brown haunches and her long mahogany hair. It was her pride and joy, her hair, it shimmered and fell to her small waist perfectly straight until the edges where it curled in ever so slightly. It matched the color of her shiny brown rump and smooth legs. Curling her haunches underneath her, she sat up. Brushing grass off of her legs, she then stood up and stretched. Kaleigh looked like her father in a lot of ways, everyone always said so. They had the same hair color and the same full, curving mouth. They shared green eyes, although Kaleigh got their almond shape from her mother. Kaleigh¹s mother had coal black hair and a beautiful smile. She had a laugh like the glitter of bells and was kind to everyone. She had given Kaleigh her high cheekbones and her petite sculptured face. They even shared the small dimples when they smiled. Kaleigh had a long beautiful neck that sloped into small round shoulders. Her tiny waist melted perfectly with dark brown forelegs and delicate hooves. She had a small, but strong back that curved into the powerful haunches of a horse and a jet black tail. Being as there were not many centaurs in Narnia, she always considered herself lucky to be one of the few.   
  
Galloping back to her shelter, she clutched the coin and walked under the canopy of leaves. Her mother turned as she came in and smiled at the bits of grass she had not managed to brush off. "Laying in the meadow again?" she asked with a knowing smile.   
  
Kaleigh giggled and wiped off the last clinging stalks. "Yep, I just needed to think."   
  
Her mother gave her a curious glance, "Think about what? Anything I can help with?"   
  
Kaleigh shrugged, "I don¹t know. It¹s just that I was wondering about what was keeping Dad awake last night because he wouldn¹t tell-" Her mother took in her breath sharply.   
  
"Now there will be none of that. It is not my place to tell you if your father won¹t do it himself. Now, unless there is anything else, we¹re finished here." She went back to raking out stray leaves and wouldn¹t look at Kaleigh.  
  
"Well, there is something else I wanted to ask you," Kaleigh mumbled.   
  
Her mother turned back and her look sharpened. "Don¹t worry, it¹s nothing about Dad." Kaleigh added quickly.   
  
Her mother¹s face softened, "Okay, what is it?"   
  
"Well, I was down by the sea looking for shells when I found this." Kaleigh pulled out the coin and showed her mother. The same swirling colors and markings shifted and her mother put down her rake.   
  
Her mother stared at it, "I don¹t have any idea what that is. You¹d best not show that to just anyone. Be careful with it. For some reason I sense that there is something not quite right with that, that _thing._ I don¹t know what that is. We¹ll have your father look at it tonight when he comes home." She went back to raking the leaves and left Kaleigh with a sense that their conversation had just been ended. Kaleigh stuffed her coin into a small bag and hung it over her shoulder. Grabbing her quiver of arrows and her bow, she stepped outside and set up her target to practice her aim. She could not wait for her father to come home, maybe he could figure out what it was...   
  
She practiced hard and went inside after she had done twenty shots and twenty bulls eyes. Being a centaur, she had learned archery since she could hold a bow and had gotten very good at it. After putting her bow and arrows away, she went and explored for a while. Her mind wandered and soon she realized that she had gone as far as the old lamp post while she daydreamed! She had taken a shortcut and had arrived only after about an hour of steady trotting. Suddenly, the bag over her shoulder started to feel warm. Throwing it off, she dumped out it¹s contents. The coin raged a fiery red color and heated up the palm of her hand. _Curious, _thought Kaleigh, _Very Curious..._


	2. A Return To Charn

Disclaimer: Again, some of the characters/places are not mine.  
  
She quickly dropped the coin and stepped away slowly from it. She looked around to see if there was an outside force causing the coin to act strangely but she could see nothing. She felt strangely lethargic and weak. She knew that she should be more alarmed, but her head wasn¹t quite connected with her body anymore. Her heart was hammering and her sleek brown haunches were suddenly shining with sweat. The wood started to twist before her eyes and blackness crept into the sides of her vision. She stumbled and tried to run, but her legs collapsed underneath her. Her tan skin flushed with hot prickles and she shivered. With the world spinning underneath her, the blackness crept entirely into her eyes and she felt no more...  
  
Singing interrupted Kaleigh's sleep and she woke up. Stirring, Kaleigh sat up slowly and put a hand to her pounding forehead. She could feel nothing and see nothing, only blackness. She didn't have the hot prickles or the sweating and her heart was calm, almost not beating. Dazed and confused, she called out. Her voice was swallowed up in the darkness that settled around her like a thick velvety blanket. She turned and twisted looking for a source of light or where she was. She couldn¹t see anything but absolute blackness. Kaleigh started to panic. _What if I don¹t get out of this alive! _she thought, _what will happen to my parents! My friends! What is going on! Am I dead? Will I die?   
_"Hush, little one! There is no need to shout." Kaleigh turned desperately, looking for the source of the voice. Her thoughts raced wildly and still her eyes saw nothing. _What is going on here!? Who is that!? Are they going to kill me? _she thought. The voice sighed and moved toward her left.  
  
"I suppose this was not the best place to bring you, but I need somewhere safe. I suppose I'll risk going to a place where you can talk and look around you. Is there anything that would help you to calm down? I am not going to hurt you and my intention was not to scare you."  
Kaleigh choked and spluttered and her voice came rushing into her throat. "Hmmm...Let's see...Maybe a LIGHT!" she yelled. Her voice seemed harsh and sarcasm dripped off every word. Her fear was past and she felt angry. "AND _MAYBE _A THOROUGH EXPLANATION OF WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE! I DON'T APPRECIATE BEING JERKED AROUND AND TAKEN PLACES WHERE I DON¹T WANT TO GO!" her voice grew soft again and her fear rushed back and swept over her like a tidal wave. "Don't hurt me, I haven't done anything. I'm only a centaur girl from Narnia and I just want to go home." Her hands trembled and her eyes filled with tears. She tried to be brave but knew that it was like trying to stop the sun from shining.  
  
The voice sighed again, this time not of impatience but of gentleness, and a small pinprick of light began to grow. A soft warm glow surrounded Kaleigh. As she looked around she could see a stone archway and a courtyard around her. Many dark windows stared at her and seemed to look into the very depths of the universe. In the center of the room was a small golden bell with an equally small golden mallet beside it. A large table was set with elaborate decorations and gold plates. A feast for the highest royalty sat waiting to be devoured. The most impressive though, was the figures seated around the table. High proud faces stared at Kaleigh as she started to walk the length of the table. Rich satin garments flamed with bright colors and strange decorative designs. Fabulous embroideries of animals and flowers and strange languages laced the edges of the gorgeous outfits. Beautiful women and equally charming men seemed to be frozen in mid conversation. Kaleigh had just reached the end of the table when the voice spoke again, this time behind her.   
She spun with a wild fear in her eyes, her legs quivering and ready to run. "Now little she-centaur, don't be afraid. I'm sure that you have heard of me, and know who I am by now. I have a need to talk to you and you must listen for the sake of everyone." Turning, she saw a huge golden lion standing at the last place at the table. His shaggy mane spread out around his head had made a golden halo that caught the few stray beams of light and reflected them back at Kaleigh. The sight took her breath away. Golden brown eyes looked solemnly out from small black lashes.  
  
"Aslan..." Kaleigh breathed. Of course she had heard of him countless times. He was only the most talked about person in Narnia! It was common to hear his name spoken on the street dozens of times. However, he had not shown up for many years. His fame was now shrouded in the shrewd guesses of the Narnia people of when he would return. Kaleigh stared wide-eyed at Aslan. "Is it really you Master Aslan?" Kaleigh spoke humbly.   
  
"Yes, it is I. I have not seen you since you were little Kaleigh. My how you have grown!" Aslan rumbled happily.  
  
"When I was little? You knew me then?" Kaleigh asked.  
  
"Oh yes. I have watched you since you were born. You have a very special job to do for your people and your country Kaleigh. You are very special indeed!" replied Aslan  
  
"Me? How can I be important to you!? You have everyone else to watch and talk with! Why not choose someone more royal or powerful or brave?" Kaleigh said back with sincere tone to her voice.  
  
"Ah Kaleigh, do not do that." he chided gently. "It dishonors me _and_ you if you talk that way. I created you and it is not honoring to say that I created something that is not important to me. It dishonors you because you need to think better of yourself. You are more royal and powerful than many others and you have no limit of bravery, you need not worry about that."  
  
"Aslan, I don¹t understand. I am definitely not royal, I am just a regular centaur girl! And I have no power! I don't rule over anything or have a say in what goes on around me!" Kaleigh protested.  
  
"All will be explained in due time." Aslan said. "Now, if you would stop interrupting me," he said with a humorous look in his eyes, "We can get on with the explaining! Ask one question first that interests you the most and we can start there."  
Kaleigh could think of only one question that was bothering her.  
"Okay, where are we?" she said.  
  
"We are in an ancient land called Charn. It was destroyed many years ago by a powerful witch. Actually, it was the same witch that plagued your parents and their generation with the Endless Winter _and_ the one that issued in the new age of King Peter and Edmund and Queen Susan and Lucy. Most people thought that Charn had been destroyed completely and that no one could ever journey there again. The spell on the people you see here has kept it alive. You see, they are not allowed to die until someone awakens them and they are probably doomed to sit here forever. Just now the life of Charn is flickering like a burned out candle. Barely making it, but still burning."  
Kaleigh stared at Aslan. So many thoughts whirled in her head and she had a hard time keeping all of these experiences straight. She choked out another question. "Okay, what about me being royal then? And about me needing to listen for the sake of my race and country and all that?"   
  
Aslan sighed and shook his mane. Golden lights glanced off of the dark stone arches and he looked into her eyes.  
"To answer that I am afraid we must go deep into what once was, and start from there. I will try and explain it all to you..."  
  
Winthrop: Hey! Well, I'm sorry that this story was a little shorter than last time, but I had a small bout of writer's block. The next one will be longer. Read and Review! I need some ideas.


	3. The Explanation

Disclaimer: Ahem! Some of these characters/places are not mine but C.S. Lewis's. Also, a special thanks to Serpentfairy for posting and editing all of my stories because my computer won't (stupid computer). I should have given her credit before this but I didn't. cry So anyway, thanks Serpentfairy!  
  
....Kaleigh didn¹t understand what he meant by ŒGoing back to what once was¹ but decided to listen anyway. Aslan laid down his golden body onto the stone floor and made himself comfortable. He gestured that Kaleigh do the same. _Probably a long boring story that I'll fall asleep listening to, _thought Kaleigh_. _"I suggest that you listen to this story little she-centaur," Aslan scolded, "This is not something that you can ignore."   
  
Kaleigh looked down at the ground and mumbled an apology, "Sorry Aslan, please go on." Aslan closed his eyes and rumbled deep in his chest. He sat there for quite a while until Kaleigh started to get bored and thought he'd fallen asleep.   
  
"Um...Aslan? Are you going to tell me the story?" Kaleigh asked timidly, not wanting to interrupt.  
  
Aslan opened his eyes. "Yes I am sorry for making you wait, I just had to get my thoughts in order. This is a very long story to tell and it has some painful experiences in it. Okay, I will begin..." Kaleigh sat up and started to listen intently. She knew that Aslan could read what she was thinking and it seemed especially important for her to pay attention.  
  
"It was long long ago, before time had begun in Narnia." Aslan rumbled, "There was once a land that was terribly powerful and mighty. It's hand could reach over many cities, and no army could stand against it. The country was steeped in the dark side of magic and sorcery however, which became it's downfall. The Queen Jadis and her sister had quarreled over the throne and it was a disaster. Their armies' blood was poured out like water and the sun was darkened over their land. When all was over, the Deplorable Word had destroyed the Queen's city and her sister. Her world was crumbling around her and she could not do anything about it. She knew there were other worlds of course (as did most sensible people in her city) and she tried to study a method of quick escape. She could not find the answer because of course, no one had had access to the ancient books that contained the answer."  
  
"I have not even heard of such a city! Does anyone in Narnia know? How do you know all of this!" Kaleigh asked, not able to hold the question inside any longer.  
  
Aslan replied, "I know this because I was there and saw it happen. I saw all of the terrible events take place. It was the most horrid thing you can imagine. Brothers forced to fight brothers. Women being killed with their babies still clutched in their arms. Starving children, about your age, sent with swords and poison into the other side's camp and rewarded with food only when they had killed men in their sleep. It was terrible but I could not stop watching. I could not leave without doing something. So I froze this court and their Queen so that they would not leave this place or die. But I _did_ make it so that someone could wake the Queen if they journeyed here and struck that bell. I am not so heartless as to leave these people with no way out. But I could not let them destroy themselves and kill the innocent. The sweet innocent children, those beautiful children..." Aslan bowed his shaggy head and wept. Great tears escaped his golden brown eyes and his sobs echoed on the stone hallways. Kaleigh's heart lurched and tears streamed down her face. Aslan lifted his head enough to look at Kaleigh. She flinched. His eyes held so much pain and begged for comfort. _If Aslan needs me to help him it must have been terrible, _thought Kaleigh, _I don't know what happened, but it must have been so awful._ She snuggled up next to him and they cried together. Images flooded Kaleigh's mind as he shared some of his pain with her. They sat and wept together in the cold stone hallways until they could cry no more. Kaleigh had had a glimmer of understanding about the horrors that took place in Charn. Her and Aslan are the only ones to have living memories of those terrible years. After a while Aslan spoke, "That is the great price of compassion and of feeling and thinking. While we feel love and happiness, we also feel hate and sadness. We cannot help but cry, it is in our nature."   
  
Breathing hard, the pair sat in silence. Aslan rumbled deep in his chest, "Little She-Centaur, it does not do to cry for those that were lost while we may yet save others. Others are depending on you for their safety and we must start again. Let us refresh ourselves and I will tell you the rest of the story." Aslan opened his mouth and a small clear note came out and echoed off of the stone arches. A steaming drink capped in a twisted blue bottle appeared at their feet. Aslan sang that clear sweet note again and two jeweled glasses also appeared. Kaleigh poured some of the frothy drink into the glasses and handed one to Aslan. She took the other and they drank deeply from the ancient jeweled glasses. The warm liquid slid down her throat like liquid silk and settled into her stomach with a full and satisfied feeling. The warmth spread from her head to her toes and she felt comfortable and safe. Like the feeling of waking up from a nightmare, when you climb onto your mother's lap and realize that it was just a dream. You can sit there and soak in her warmth and special scent. When they had finished their glasses, Aslan started to talk again.  
  
"Now that we have had a rest and are refreshed, we can start the story again! After Charn had been mostly destroyed and the Queen and her nobles frozen in time, nothing happened. No one came, or went, or lived, or died. It was simply nothing. It was then that two young children came, using a weak brand of ³magic." A long story short, (if you want the unabridged version you _could _read The Magician's Nephew) they woke up the Queen and brought her to a new country named Narnia, only a few hours old." Aslan said.  
  
Kaleigh started, "Narnia! That¹s my country! I know the story from here Aslan! Diggory and Polly had so many adventures then!"  
  
Aslan growled deep in his throat, "Yes you know the story Little She-Centaur. Do you remember the silver apple tree that the Son of Adam had planted?" Kaleigh nodded her head. "Well that tree will live just a little longer in Narnia. It is now very old and it will give Narnia it¹s protection for only a year and a day."  
  
"What will happen when the tree no longer lives?" Kaleigh asked with wide eyes.   
  
"A greater evil than the White Witch will come and Narnia will be destroyed.." Aslan stated simply. Kaleigh took in her breath and her throat closed up. She thought of all the Narnia children playing on the grass and of the Dryads and Neiads dancing with the fauns and the centaurs. She thought of the two Kings and the two Queens and their merry faces. She thought of the rolling hills of Narnia and of the sea sparkling like a jewel. She could not bear the thought of all that, her home, being destroyed.  
  
Kaleigh looked at the golden lion, "Okay Aslan, what must I do?"


	4. Kaleigh's Mission

Disclaimer: Hello! And thanks for reading the fourth chapter of The Shifting Coin! Some of these characters/places are not mine obviously, but the rest of it was my idea. Actually, the whole thing with the tree was conceived by C.S. Lewis because in the Magicians Nephew, Aslan had said that the tree would die and a greater evil would come. Okay, anyway, please read and review both this and my other story because they will be joining really really soon, so you all can look foreword to that. :D  
  
...Aslan sighed and said, ³This is where the hard part comes in Kaleigh. This evil comes from the world of men. You _must_ remember that not all humans are bad and that some are of virtue, and people that you can trust. It is imperative that you learn this. But the people on their way are almost as bad as they can get. They are called, oh what¹s the word, ah yes... Pirates. Pirates are nothing that Narnia has ever seen. You have wars between yourselves, that is a natural action that you cannot help. But these men are different. Even in wars you have rules, to protect the innocent and so on. But these pirates live only by the rules they create, not the rules agreed upon by both sides. They view the world as something they can take by force to benefit only themselves. They now know of a way into your country, and will destroy and pillage everything. They will bring more men with them and destruction and death will reign. They will see your country as weak and unprotected and full of new life to bring back to their world to use as they please. Their arrival will bring about a chain of events that would be a death sentence to all who live here. And there is only one person to stop it.²  
  
Kaleigh¹s stomach dropped as she suddenly understood, ³Me?² she asked.  
  
When Aslan only replied with silence Kaleigh was shocked, ³It is me isn¹t it? How can I do anything? I, I don¹t have any means to protect the whole of Narnia! Why can¹t you tell all this to the Kings and Queens? I...I...I don¹t know how!² she stuttered.  
  
At this Aslan smiled the kind of smile only with his eyes, ³Oh Kaleigh! Do you think that if you were the only person to do this that you would not have the means!? I am surprised at you! Think about it! I would not have chosen you if you could not do it.²  
  
Kaleigh was still confused, ³But if I don¹t know the means I have then how am I supposed to do it? _I_ don¹t think I am qualified and aren¹t I the one to know the best about that?²  
  
Aslan seemed to have an unlimited amount of patience, ³Kaleigh, I have chosen you for this job and you will do this.²  
  
³I won¹t even have a choice whether or not I will risk my life and the lives of others to save a whole country of people!?² Kaleigh pouted, ³If I have no choice then I quit! I want to be able to have a way out!²  
  
Aslan laughed, ³Kaleigh I know you better than anyone else, even yourself, and I know that once you think this over you will decide to do it. You cannot possibly refuse, because you are not that kind of person. You always have a choice in things, but your strong conscience would be so troubled about letting a whole country down that you would immediately regret your decision.²  
  
Kaleigh blushed as she thought this over, ³Yeah, I suppose so. I know that I¹ll do it, but I just don¹t know how, and I¹m afraid that I won¹t be able to. Can you just tell me how I¹m supposed to stop these pirates?²  
  
³Ah yes, I was waiting for you to figure it out, or at least what will help you in this task.² He looked at her with a meaningful look as her eyes traveled down into her hand which was still tightly clasping the strange coin she had found on the beach.  
  
³This??² she held up the coin, ³This will help me? How? Wait. Is it a weapon or something? Why did it burn then right before I came here?²  
  
³Kaleigh, think of where you were at the time it was activated.² Aslan said.  
  
³Well, I was standing in the forest by the lamppost I guess. Does it do something with the lamppost then?² Kaleigh puzzled.  
  
Aslan nodded, ³Yes. That ancient coin is the very coin used to put the people of this court to sleep. It was lost and now it has been found at the time where it will be used once again. It does not do the same spell twice, so you will not use it to put everyone to sleep. But it has another purpose, to open the gateway between worlds. The Kings and Queens had gotten into Narnia by going through a wardrobe in the world of men. No Narnian can get into the wardrobe because it only works for those with human blood. But this coin was made for many species and will get you into the humans¹ world. All you have to do to activate it is to stand by the lamppost and face the direction North. Put the coin into a leather bag and shake it three times and it will start to burn like it did before. You will see the portal open up and you will need to step through it immediately or it will close. You will then be into the world of men. You are now standing at the entrance to the Narnian world seen from the human¹s side and that is where you will need to return when you want to come home. It is then your job to find the pirates and make sure that they don¹t find the portal or go through it. If that happens, then all will be lost and Narnia will cease to exist in the peace you have enjoyed thus far.²  
  
Kaleigh grimaced and said, ³Will I be sick like the last time I activated the coin then? That wasn¹t a pleasant feeling.²  
  
Aslan went on to explain, ³The reason that you had felt sick was that you were almost in the portal when I had pulled you here and the two forces pulling in different directions gave you a feeling of nausea. I had been gone too long with another matter and could not get here in time so I _had_ to pull you out. I had wanted to explain to you your task and how to do it before you left. The sick feeling will not happen the next time you go through because you are being pulled in only one direction.²  
  
Kaleigh nodded her head to show she understood, ³Okay then, is that all that I need to know?²  
  
Aslan said yes, ³You are now equipped enough to handle most of the challenges that will come your way. Remember, you _can_ trust some of the humans, and that when all hope fails, go toward the blackest night. Goodbye little she-centaur, I will miss you.²  
  
³I¹ll miss you too Aslan. How will I get back to my own world then?² Kaleigh asked. Just as she spoke the words, the portal opened up in front of her. It wasn¹t like the last time she had traveled through the portal, which was because of ,Kaleigh guessed, Aslan had used his own special magic to get her there. Instead, a shimmery swirl of soft colors lit up the stone hallway. It danced and shifted right in front of her. As she stepped through it she felt a strange feeling, like she had just gone underwater. A bubble encased her and kept her dry while warm liquid seemed to flow around her. She looked back at Aslan for a last glance and he was smiling at her with his eyes. She heard Aslan speak to her as he said good luck, and she slipped into the shifting portal fully. She heard a splashing, watery sound as she tripped into her own world. It was like the bubble had burst and the liquid disappeared. She was back at the exact same spot where she had collapsed. It was completely dark now and she didn¹t know what time of the day it was. She galloped all the way home and finally arrived about a half hour later. Her dad wasn¹t home from his job yet, but her mother was pacing in front of the entrance to the glade, muttering to herself. When she saw Kaleigh trot up a brief glance of relief crossed her face. Then she turned angry.  
  
³Kaleigh! Where have you been!? You were supposed to come home an hour and a half ago! You are SO lucky your father isn¹t home right now, otherwise you would be grounded till the day you died! You¹ve NEVER been this late, why all of a sudden do you disappear and not tell us where you went?² her mother exploded.  
  
At this Kaleigh felt a little defensive, ³Mom! I was only an hour or so later than I normally am! Maybe I had somewhere important to be! No one else¹s mother gets upset over such a little thing! My friends are late all the time, and they don¹t get yelled at! Especially not for something as little as an hour! Jeez! Just settle down!²  
  
Kaleigh¹s mom gathered herself up like an angry mother hen, ³Kaleigh! You are my only daughter! What am I supposed to think when you are late and it is getting steadily dark out? Huh!? What am I supposed to think!? What _were_ you doing anyway?²  
  
Kaleigh had a sudden feeling that she was to tell no one about the talk between her and Aslan. Suddenly, an idea came on to her, ³Mom, wait, you said that I had been gone an hour and a half? _Only_ an hour and a half?²  
  
Her mom glanced at her dubiously, ³Yeah. Didn¹t I just say that? What were you doing anyway?²  
  
³I was just running in the woods. Ah, yeah, that¹s all. When I realized I went too far I turned back, but I would already be late.² Kaleigh replied, with a confused look on her face. _But I had been with Aslan for over two hours, and it took me about an hour to get there and about a half hour to come back. That means, that while I was with Aslan, time here didn¹t pass.  
_  
Kaleigh apologized for being late, and her mother said she was sorry for yelling, but told Kaleigh not to be late again. After saying good-night to her mother, the tired centaur laid down in her soft bed of ferns and moss and fell asleep, thinking of the task ahead, and the world of humans...

P.S. this is serpentfairy, i'm posting the storys for Winthrop. I'm sorry about the numbers, i'm like overload on homework right now so i can't go through it and i wanted to get it up for her sorry winthrop!!!


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